Bills Affecting NASA, NOAA Budgets Released

Proposed Weather Satellite Reorganization Masks Reduction

On April 19, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which funds several agencies, including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Senate bill would provide NASA with $19.399 billion in FY 2013, $1.6 billion above the President's request. However, the increase is a result of a reorganization of operational weather satellite procurement from NOAA into NASA. Without the funds for the NOAA weather satellite procurement, NASA's budget would be $17.669 billion, $47 million below the President's request. The Senate bill would provide NOAA with $3.418 billion in FY 2013, $1.6 billion below the President's request. The significant decrease represents a proposed transfer of procurement funds for operational weather satellites from NOAA to NASA.

On April 26, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. The bill funds several federal agencies, including NASA and NOAA. The House bill would provide NASA with $17.574 billion in FY 2013, $138 million below the President's request. In addition, the House bill would provide $4.961 billion for NOAA in FY 2013, $92 million below the President's FY 2013 request.

The Space Foundation has updated its NASA FY 2013 budget analysis to incorporate the proposed House and Senate NASA funding bills.